Spring suspension



Jame 12, 1923. I 1,458,318

H. W. BELL SPRING SUS PENS ION Filed Dec. 24, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /M aOW XWQ/M .l un 112, 1923. 11,458,3fl8

H. W. BELL SPRING SUSPENS I ON Filed Dec. 24, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June"112'; "1923. 1,458,318

7 H. W. BELL SPRING SUSPENSION Filed Dec. 24, 1920 s sh ets-sheets Jay;

Fatented June 112, i923 UNHTE @TATS insane aranr eaten.

HARVEY W. BELL, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE BELOYT CORPORA-TION, 0F DOVER, DELAWARE, A CORIPOTION OF DELAW- SPRING SUSPENSION.

Application filed December 2t, 1920. Serial No. 432,943.

To all whom it may ccmcem:

Be it known that I, HARVEY W. BELL,

a citizen of the United States, and a resi-' dent of Yonkers,Westchester County, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Spring Suspensions, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to spring suspensions for vehicles and particularlyto those of the so-called platform type, wherein the vehicle body issuspended by means of longitudinally extending springs at the sidescooperating with a transversely arranged spring at the end of thevehicle.

Heretofore these angular'ly related springs have been connected bycompound links pivotally engaged with the springs and articulatedmid-length to allow forboth longitudinal and transverse motion. Theselinks necessarily are relatively heavy and complicated, requireattention in the matter of lubrication and the like, and areobjectionable furthermore in that they interfere with the full freedomof action of the angularly related springs.

It is the object of my invention to provide a connection or couplingbetween the angularly related springs or vehicle parts which willovercome these objections and defects, which will eliminate the need forlubrication or other attention, and which will allow for the full, freeaction of the springs.

Briefly, the invention comprises a connection between the angularlyrelated springs or vehicle parts in the form of a link which is so Yconnected with the angularl disposed parts as to compensate and a lowfor natural freedom of movement of such parts. Preferably these linksconsist of webs or strips of material rigidly secured at their oppositeends t the angularly related parts and disposed substantially at rightangles to planes bisecting the angles of the angularly related parts.

Various other features of the invention will appear as the specificationproceeds,

which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein I have illustrated the invention embodied in practicrgl;;,commercial to As this illustration is intended, however, .prfini'ari1yfor purposes of disclosure, I wish it underl- Figures 2 and 3 are brokenplan and side views of the same. 7 In all three views mentioned theparts are illustrated substantially as they appear in the normal or noload condition.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustratingoperation of the parts under load.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional vie of one of the links and theclamps by wh it is held.

Figure 8 is a face view of one of the links.

Figure 9 is a face view of one of the a spacing washers.

The platform spring illustrated is of typical construction, involving apair of Iongitudinally extending springs at the sides of the vehiclebody, one of which is indicated at 10 and a transversely arrangedintermediate spring 11 at the end of the vehicle body. The side springs10 are clipped to the axle structure 12 at 13 and the transverse spring.is secured intermediate its ends at 14 to the body structure 15.

The adjoining ends of the end and side springs are connected in thepresent disclosure by suspension links, shown as compris ing relativeyflat strips or webs 16 disposed with the Hat sides thereof at asubstantially equal angle to both theside and the end spring. Thisrelation is possibly best shown in Figures 2 and 5 where it will be seenthat the sides of the web, as indicated by the line 17, standsubstantially at a right angle to the plane of a. line 18 bisecting theangle between the two angularly' related members.

This link, in the present disclosure,

rigidly or immovably secured at its 0 pcgsite,

' and practically inflexible in its flat plane but is more or lessfreely flexible in a plane till) at right angles to the flat plane. Thisenables the link to flex with a hinging movement when necessary but Ifind that by reason of the particular angular disposition disclosed, acompensation is effected which practically eliminates bodily flexurc ofthe link. This will be understood when it is considered that the rearspring flexing upwardly under load describes an are which carries theouter extremity of the link fastened thereto upwardly (Figure 4) andthat the side spring flexing downwardly under load, (Figure 6) describesan are which carries the outer attached extremity of the link downwardlyin such a way as to cant or incline the link bodily as shown. Thisfeature will be clear from Figures 4: and 6 where I have indicated by aline 19 how the outer extremity of the lower end of the link swingsoutwardly and upwardly with the flexing of the rear spring, the line 20in the same views showin how with the downward flexure of the sidespring, the upper extremity of the link swings outwardly and downwardlyfrom the approximately horizontal positions indicated by the lines 19*and 20 in Figures 1 and 3.

The flexure of the two springs, therefore, for the most part atleast-simply results in a bodily inclining movement of the link, bothsprings operating to turn the link in the same direction. The linktherefore is practically free of twisting strains and needs only be heavand strong enough to carry the weight 0 the load. The inherentflexibility of the link in a plane transverse to its flat sides is anadvantage, however, in

that it compensates for variations where one spring will flex more or ata diflerent rate ,than the other related spring. g

The structure of the clamps by which the ends of the links are rigidlysecured to the adjoining ends of the sprin s is disclosed in detailinFigure 7 and as t ere shown each clamp consists of a base bracket 21secured by bolts, rivew or other tastenings 22 (Figure 2) to the end ofthe spring and carrying a clamping face or jaw 23 disposedsubstan tiallyat a. 45 degree angle to the axis of the spring, with which cooperates acomplementary 'aw member or clamping late 24, the mova le'jaw beingsecured to t e fixed jaw by a bolt or other fastening 25. The base orattaching portions of these brackets may be shaped to fit the curvatureof the spring leaves and they are furthermore shown as inclined at acuteangles to the substantially horizontal planes of the clampin jaws(Figures 1 and 3) so as to bring t e suspension links substantiallyvertical in the normal or unloaded condition and hence in the bestposition to the load.

Were the weight he sustained is quite heavy it prefer-to hfitfld thelinks of a pinrality of ships in substantially teasers parallel relationas in Figure 7, and spaced at the ends in such relation by spacing elements in the nature of washers 26. These spacers and the contact facesof the clamp elements may be corrugated or otherwise provided withprotuberances to firmly grip the strips, substantially as I haveindicated.

Where only a single bolt is used at each clamp,'I preferably providemeans for preventing the strip from twistin rotatively in the clamp. Themeans for this purpose are shown in Figure 7 as angularly extendedflanges 27 projecting from the ends of the spacers and extending overthe ends of the strips into engagement with shoulders 28 on the fixedelements of the clamps. These flanges need not all extend intoengagement with the shoulder because when the first spacer is thusanchored against rotation, the flange of the second washer need onlyproject into overlapping relation over the first anchored member. Theouter or movable clamp element 24 is shown as similarly held againstrotative movement by an angularly extending anchorage flan e 29 arrangedto overlap the flange 27 of t ev adjacent spacing. member. When theparts are setup as indicated in Figure 7 it will be clear that thespacers and movable clamping element will be anchored against rotationand in turn will prevent rotative twisting of the strips about thesecuring bolt.

In addition to the advantages heretofore pointed out, it will be notedthat the sus pension links arranged at the angle show-n will resist sidesway and will also ofl'er opposition to longitudinal jerking movements,

this by reason of the relative inflexibility of the links in their flatplane. As the links are rigidly held at their ends and as the flexurebetween the ends is ordinarily comparatively slight, and in someinstances,

not even apparent, the wear is inappreciable.

While different materials may be employed, I find that rubberimpregnated canvas belting of multi-ply thickness is well suited to thiswork since it is capable of carrying the load, is sutficiently flexible,is strongly re sistant to compressive forces and is stiff and Ipractically inflexible in the direction of it flat plane.

What I claim is:

1. In spring suspensions for vehicles, the combination withsubstantially longitudinal side springs and a substantially transversespring at the ends of the longitudinal springs, of suspension linksconnected between the ends of the transverse and longitudinal springsand comprising continuous webs disposed substantially at right angles toplane bisecting the an les between the transverse and longitudinasprings.

2. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedmembers, of a link connecting said members and comprisweb between saidmembers disposed substantially at a right angle to a plane bisecting theangle between the members.

5. In combination with angularly related members of a vehicle, a linkconnecting said members and comprising a rigidly held flexible 'webdisposed at an angle of substantially 45 degrees to the longitudinalaxes of said members.

6. In combination with angularly related members of a vehicle, a linkconnecting said. members and comprising a rigidly held flexible webstanding substantially at equal angles to each of said members.

7. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedmembers, of a connecting. web between said members disposedsubstantially at a right angle to a plane bisecting the angle betweenthe members and means for rigidly securing the web at its oppositeendsto said members.

8. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedsprings, of a connecting web between said springs disposed substantiallyat a right angle to a plane bisecting the angle between the springs andmeans for rigidly securing the web at its opposite ends to said springs.

9. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedmembers one at least of which is a'spring, of a connecting web betweensaid members disposed substantially at a right angle to a planebisecting the angle between the members and means for rigidly securingtheweb at its opposite ends to said members.

10, In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedmembers, of a suspension link between said members and secured to saidmembers at its opposite ends on lines substantially at right angles to alane bisecting the angle between the memers.

11. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedmembers, of a suspension link between said members and rigidlysecuredto. said members at its opposite ends on lines substantially atright ngles to a plane bisecting theangle between the members.

'12. In a spring suspensien for vehicles,

the combination with angularly related members one at least of which isa spring, of a suspension link connecting said members and comprising asubstantially flat web disposed with its flat plane. inclined to thelongitudinal axis of the spring and means for rigidly securingtheopposite end portions of said web to said members.

13. A supporting linkfor vehicle parts comprising a substantially flatweb of flexible material and attaching brackets rigidly secured to theopposite ends of said web and standing substantially at right angles toeach other,

14. A supporting link-for vehicle parts comprising a substantially flatweb of flexible material and attaching brackets rigidly secured to theopposite ends of said Web and standing substantially at right angles toeach other and at an angle to the flat plane of the web. J

15. A supporting link} 'for vehicle parts comprising a flexible web andan attaching bracket ri idly secured thereto and standing at an anglesubstantially: 45 degrees to the flat plane of the web.

16. A supporting link for vehicle parts comprising a substantially flatflexible web and attaching brackets rigidly secured to the opposite endsof said web and standing substantially at equal angles to the flat planeof the web.

17. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedmembers, of a connecting web between said members and consisting of asubstantially flat strip of material having the characteristics ofcanvas belting and disposed with its fiat lane sub stantially at equalangles to both 0 the angularly related members.

18. In combination with a linkof the 19. In combination with a. link ofthe character described, a clamp comprising parts between which the endportion of the link is ipped and a member extending over the end bf thelink and engaging one ofel i e parts of the clam 20. In combination witha link of; the

character described, a clamp com rasing garts between which the endportion of the nk is gripped and a holding member carried by one of saidparts of the clamp and engaging over the end of the link to confine thesame against rotative movement in the clamp. i

are.

the

21. In combination with a of the character described, a clamp-comprising parts between which the end portion of the ink is held, amember non-rotatably held by the clamp and engaging overthe end of thelink to hold the same against rotative movementin, the clamp and a boltsecuring the parts of the clamp together, the member aforesaid having anopening for the passage of said bolt.

22. In combination. a supporting link consisting of a plurality ofsubstantially flat flexible strips arranged in superposed relation, aclamp rigidly securing said strips at one end and a spacing washerbetween said strips and engaging over the end of one of the strips toconfine the same against rotative movement in the clamp.

23. In combination. a supporting link consisting of a plurality ofsubstantially flat llexible strips arranged in superposed rela tion. aclamp rigidly securing said strips at one end, a spacing washer betweensaid strips and engaging over the end of one of the strips to confinethe same against rotative movement in the clamp and a holding extensioncarried by the clamp and engaging oyer the end of one ol the otherstrips to' confine the same against'rotative motion.

24. In a vehicle COIlStlllCtlOll. the combination with angularly relatedrelatively movable members, of a connecting Web between said membersdisposed in a plane substantially atright angles to a plane bisectingthe angle between said members.

25. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly relatedrelatively movable members of a flexible oonnecting Web between saidmembers disposed in a plane substantially at'right angles to a planebisecting the angle between said members.

26. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angula-rly relatedrelatively movable members of a flat connecting web between said membersdisposed substantially at right angles to a plane bisecting the anglebetween said members.

27. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly related.relatively movable, spaced apart members of a web connecting saidmembers and disposed substantially at a right angle to a plane bisectingthe angle between said members.

28. In a vehicle oonstruction, the combination with angularly related,relatively movable. spaced apart members of a flexible web connectingsaid members and disposed substantially at a right angle to a lanebisecting the angle between said mem rs.

29. In a vehicle construction, the combination with angularly related,relatively movable, spaced apart members of a substantially flat,flexible web connecting said membels and disposed substantially at a.right angle to a plane bisecting the angle between said members.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day ofDecember, 1920.

HARVEY W. BELL.

